HIS CHILDHOOD AND EARLY HOME. 7 



to my father's house, which at the midnight hour was all 

 quiet and the family asleep. On May 1st, 1779, between 

 twelve and one o'clock A. M., the house was violently as- 

 saulted by large heavy stones banging against both doors, 

 with oaths, imprecations, and threats. My father, being 

 awaked from a sound sleep, seized two loaded guns stand- 

 ing at his bedside, rushed to the front windows, and by the 

 light of the moon seeing armed men in the stoop or por- 

 tico, he thrust the muzzle of a musket through a pane of 

 glass and pulled the trigger, but there was only a flash in 

 the pan, and the gun did not go off. Percussion caps 

 were then unknown, and muskets were fired by flint and 

 steel. Instantly the windows were dashed in, and the ruf- 

 fians were upon him. The doors were opened, and he 

 became their prisoner. William his son, although ill with 

 ague and fever, was aroused from his bed and became also 

 their captive. These rude men, bearing guns with fixed 

 bayonets, followed my father into the bedroom, a terrific 

 sight to his wife, she being in bed, with her little son, Gold 

 Selleck, not yet eighteen months old, lying upon her arm. 

 The invaders were soothed by my father as if they were 

 gentlemen soldiers, and were desired to withdraw from the 

 presence of his wife. They sulkily complied; and my 

 father, by tossing my mother's dress over a basket contain- 

 ing the sacramental silver of the church* of which he was 

 deacon, thus concealed from them what would have been a 

 rich prize. He also secured some valuable papers before 

 he, with his son, was hurried off to the boat, leaving my 

 mother disconsolate and almost alone. 



The capture of my father took place on the Sabbath 

 morning of May 1st, 1779, and my birthday was August 

 8th three months and eight days after the midnight sur- 

 prise and assault which made my father a prisoner during 

 a year with the British at New York and on Long Island.f 



* It was sacramental day, and the sacramental vessels would have been 

 used on that Sabbath. 



f The fact of Gen. Silliman's capture is reported to Gen. Washington by 



